Hearing Flashcards
age-related changes
- degenerative changes in inner ear
- narrowing of auditory meatus from bone apposition
- diminished blood supply
- CNS changes
hard of hearing
level of hearing impairment
‘deafness’ is profound hearing loss
< or > 70 dB
prelingual
before spoken language
- young children
post lingual
after spoken language
presbycusis
age-related degeneration of auditory structures
risk factors that affect hearing wellness
- male gender, increased age
- genetic predisposition
- exposure to noise
- impacted cerumen
- smoking
- exposure to secondhand smoke
- ototoxic medications
- certain medical conditions
most prevalent risk factor for impaired healing
noise-induced hearing loss
(NIHL)
- preventable
- prolonged or intermittent exposure to noise
- associated w/ occupation and recreational activities
types of hearing impairment
– conductive hearing loss
abnormalities of external and middle ear interfering w/ sound conduction
types of hearing impairment
– sensorineural hearing loss
abnormalities of sensory and neural structures of inner ear
- usually age-related or noise induced
types of hearing impairment
– mixed hearing loss
involves both conductive and sensorineural impairments
tinnitus
perception of sound w/o acoustic stimulus
- persistent sensation of ringing, roaring, blowing and buzzing
symptoms of underlying condition
- hearing loss
- ototoxic meds
- Meniere disease
- or sensorineural tinnitus
hearing assessment
- otoscopic examination for impacted cerumen
- tuning fork tests for hearing
- screening tool:
> > the Hearing Handicap inventory for the Elderly (HHIE-S) - 10 item questionnaire - family history w/ past and present risks
- attitudes about hearing aids
- impact of impairment on communication & QOL
nursing diagnoses
- readiness for enhanced communication
- anxiety
- impaired social interaction
- ineffective coping
- risk for loneliness
- risk for injury
nursing interventions
- promote hearing wellness
- teaching about interventions to address modifiable risk factors
(ototoxic medications or treating underlying condition - HTN) - monitor for removing impacted cerumen
- promoting referrals for audiology services
- teaching about the use and care of hearing aids
- communication techniques with hearing-impaired older adults
- using assistive listening devices
evaluating interventions
- improved ability to communicate
- effective use of hearing aids and amplification devices
- increased participation in social activities
- environmental modifications to eliminate background noises
- participation in auditory rehabilitation program
